Drinking-fountain for fowls



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT L. HIGGINS, OF BAR HARBOR, MAINE.

DRINKING-FOUNTAlN FoR FowLs.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 516,600, dated March 13, 1894.

Application iiled June 17, 1893. Serial No. 477,932 (N0 model-i To all whom 15 may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT L. HIGGINS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bar Harbor, in the county of Hancock and State of Maine, have invented a new and useful Drinking-Fountain for Fowls, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in drinking fountains for fowls.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of drinking fountains for fowls, and to provide one which will be simple and inexpensive in construction, and which may be readily supplied with water from an ordinary receptacle such as a jug, bottle or barrel, and which will prevent young chickens from wetting A their bodies while drinking.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings-Figure lis a perspective view of a drinking fountain constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail View of the adjustable support. Fig, 4 is a detail view of an elastic plug.

Like numerals of reference indicate correspending parts in all the igures of the drawings. i

1 designates a vertical conduit or tube, constructed of any suitable material, preferably wood, and provided with a vertical bore or opening 2, and having the lower portion thereof threaded and receiving the upper threaded end 3 of a connecting tube 4, to which'is attached a circular cup 5. The vertical conduit or tube tapers from its upper end to within a short distance of its lower en d, and is approximately conical and provides bulging sides 6 arranged at the top of the circular cup and forming a narrow annular space to permit small chickens and other fowls to drink of the contents of the cup, and to prevent them from wetting their bodies, or getting into the cup and rendering the waterimpure and unfit for drinking. The tapering upper end or top 7 of the vertical conduit or tube is adapted to tit readily in the mouth of a jug 8 or a bottle, or in the bung hole or the opening of a barrel, for forming a reservoir for supplying water to the fountain.

The lower end of the connecting pipe 4 is threaded and fits in a threaded socket 9 of the cup and extends to the bottom thereof. The cup is detachable, and the lower end of the connecting pipe or tube 4 is closed by a plug 10, which may be threaded, and provided with depending flanges to form a thumb piece, or a rubber or other elastic plug or cork 11 may be employed. Water is supplied to the `cup through an annular series of perforations 12, and the water will rise in the cup until the annular series of perforations are submerged, and as soon as the water is consumed and falls below the perforations the fountain will be started, and the water thereof will continue running until the perforations are again submerged.

The'cup or trough 5 by it being detachable is adapted to be removed and replaced in an inverted position, and by inverting the fountain, the cup is righted and is adapted to be used as a funnel for filling-a jug or other' receptacle. While filling the. receptacle the annular series of perforations can be conveniently closed by the hand in holding the fountain. The particular construction, which renders the cup detachable and reversible for forming a funnel, is not claimed in the present application, as it forms a portion of the subject-matter of a separate application filed June 17, 1893, Serial No. 477,931.

The jug 8 is supported by an adjustable stand 13 which is composed of a `horizontally disposed triangular supporting frame 14, and vertical screws 15 arranged at the angles of the frame `14, and connecting the sides 16 thereof. The sides 16 of the supporting frame 14 are provided at their ends with threaded adjusting openings 17, adapted for the reception of the screws 15, whereby horizontal frame 14 may be adjusted in size to support different sizes of receptacles, and may be also adjusted to the desired height to suit the receptacle and the size of the-fowls which are to use the fountain.

It will be seen that the drinking fountain is simple and comparatively inexpensive in construction, that it enables water to be economically and continuously supplied to fowls, and that the latter are prevented from-wet- IOO ting themselves or rendering the water impure and unfit for drinking. It will also be apparent that by employing j ugs and similar vessels as receptacles, the water is maintained in a cool and drinkable condition until it is entirely consumed.

Changes in the form, proportion and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages ot this invention.

What I claim isl. A drinking fountain comprising a vessel, a cup, avertical tube or conduit depending from the vessel and mounted upon the cup and having bulged sides arranged at the top of the cup to contract the mouth or opening thereof, said tube or conduit having an outlet located within the cup, substantially as described.

. 2. A drinking fountain comprising a vertical tube or conduit having a bulged or en larged lower portion, a cup arranged below the tube or conduit, and a connecting pipe detachably secured to the tube or conduit and to the cup and provided with discharge open ings and forming a continuation of the bore of the tube or conduit said discharge openconduit, the outlet of the latter being located 3 5 within the cup, and a stand supporting the receptacle and consisting of legs, and a frame composed of bars adjustably connected with the legs, substantially as described.

4;. A drinking fountain comprising a receptacle, a tube or conduit depending therefrom, a cup arranged at the bottom of the tube or conduit, and an adjustable stand composed of a triangular supporting frame provided at the ends of its sides with threaded adjusting perforations, and vertical screws passing through perforations of the sides of the supporting frame and connecting the sides, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aiiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT L. HIGGINS.

Witnesses:

B. E. CLARK, A. H. LYNAM. 

